Father in home and lacks mental stimulation

So as you all gather my father is now in a residential home. My last post was about him eating his clothes - well not literary but like in an anxious sort of way. I figured it was lack of mental stimulation since he was a very active man before his stroke and another ageing illness.


Anyway he can't really read - well I don't think so because he still can't talk properly with is frustrating for us as well as him. Also as elderly person he was in hospital and with a change of environment this can have a set back on everything. And it does. It's very hard to explain but changing environments can have a very unsettling effect on some elderly people.

Anyway he was discharged from hospital so the family had a chat with the home. After all the medical details - I can tell you a few things about peg feeds we discussed about how he was generally. I told them I found he seemed bored. Well it seems it's a fairly common with residents. Now boredom is a good and bad sign. The good thing is that he's getting back to himself and realising his surrounding but the other is that he is bored. Very bored. And bed bound.


Reading and suggested audio books

Another thing is that he's a reading man with effect of the strokes he can hardly lift his hands. Anyway I was looking for something interesting to do so they suggested doing getting some talking/audio books. But I also think he needs some visual stimulus. If only there were solitaire games for bed bound patients.

Anyway, I've not been about to see him because I've got a cold/flu. Simple - no. He is vulnerable to infections so these things will have to wait till I'm fit - so a couple of days.

I've got him a hardback book with big writing and I've found a charity that does free talking books which I shall sign up for. It's called Calibre and it's an audio book lending library for those with poor eyesight or conditions that prevent them from reading print. It does all kinds of book even those into some x-rated stuff like 50 shades.

http://www.calibre.org.uk/

Singing

I sometimes sing to him thought I can't alway remember a song or something suitable. He could listen to the radio but sometimes it's turned off and forgot to be switched back on again. The perilous of having weak limbs and being bed bound is that a person relys on vitually everything being done for them.

Overall

Over the last few years of the family caring for my father it's being difficult to know what exactly he'd like or dislike. It's always a risk doing something in which the person will not be interested. Even more so since he can't do want he generally did which was just going about socialising and reading.

It's a difficult one.